Paul Walker Honored At Daytime Emmys 2015; Why Was The 'Furious 7' Actor Recognized More Than A Year After His Death?

The 2015 Daytime Emmy Awards honored the late Paul Walker on Sunday. The actor was one of several deceased artists featured in the "in memoriam" tribute.

While Walker was best-known for his role in the “Fast and Furious” films as Brian O’Conner, he actually got his start in daytime television. One of Walker’s first major gigs was on “The Young and the Restless” in 1992 as Brandon Collins.

Walker died in November 2013 at age 40 in a high-speed car crash. He was leaving a charity event in Santa Clarita, California, with a friend, Roger Rodas, when their car crashed into a lamppost while speeding around a curve. Both were declared dead at the scene.

Walker's inclusion in the Daytime Emmy's 2015 in memoriam tribute may seem strange since the “Into the Blue” actor died before last year’s ceremony. But the Daytime Emmys didn’t air on television last year. They were only live-streamed in 2014, but the 2015 Daytime Emmys returned to the small screen on Pop TV. The broadcast honored several other actors who also died before last year’s ceremony, including Charles Keating, Sheila MacRae and Nancy Malone.

Watch Paul Walker's portion of the in memoriam segment from the 2015 Daytime Emmy Awards below:

The awards show also honored Joan Rivers, who received a Daytime Emmy in 1990. She won outstanding talk show host for her work on “The Joan Rivers Show.” Her daughter, Melissa Rivers, was there to honor the “Fashion Police” host, who died in September 2014. “My mother felt loved and valued by the daytime community, and for that I will always be grateful,” Rivers said.